On 19 October, CELSI hosted a Frontiers Seminar with Šárka Homfray, a Czech trade union lawyer, publicist, and feminist, who joined CELSI for a two-week research visit.

Šárka presented her work-in-progress paper, “Modernizing Trade Unions? New Agendas, Organizational Change and the Search for Relevance.”

Drawing on a qualitative case study of Moderní odbory in the Czech banking group ČSOB, the presentation explored how trade unions engage with emerging agendas, using ESG to examine the relationship between new forms of expertise, union practices, and organizational identity.

The discussion addressed how “modern trade unionism” is understood by union actors and whether engagement with new agendas represents symbolic adaptation, a strategic resource, or substantive organizational change.

The case also opened up broader questions about trade union renewal and worker representation in post-socialist Central Europe.

Thank you, Šárka, for sharing your ongoing research with the CELSI team and for contributing to the discussion. We look forward to continuing the exchange during your research visit.

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